Well, many of you probably don't know me, but that's because I have been absent from the fanfiction realm for a long, long time! I still have a few unfinished projects (that sadly will remain unfinished). But I really have been inspired by Sonny/Chad because they have wonderful chemistry, and an idea popped into my head so I'm running loose with it! The idea is loosely based off of the Wizards of Waverly Place episode where Justin has his first kiss, and also very, very loosely based on spoilers (I didn't even read some of them until after I had written this). Enjoy, and – as always! – be sure to comment and let me know what you liked, didn't like, etc. Thanks!
Disclaimer: I do not now, nor have I ever owned, "Sonny With a Chance." If I did, Chad and Sonny would have probably been together by now. …Or at least close.
First Kiss
"You're telling me that you haven't had your first kiss yet?"
From the moment that she had opened her mouth to respond to Tawni's seemingly innocent question, Sonny Monroe had instantly regretted it. Instead of giving the blonde the satisfaction of a response, Sonny merely slunk into her make-up chair and heaved a sigh.
But Tawni was far from being bored with the conversation. "No, seriously though, not even a stage kiss or anything?" The blonde bounced over beside her castmate and tilted her head to the side curiously. "Not even an itsy, bitsy, little –"
"Tawni!" the brunette exclaimed, spinning her chair around to face the girl. "Not even anything remotely close, okay?"
Tawni's head remained cocked and she plopped herself onto the sofa in front of Sonny. The perky and usually self-centered blonde seemed puzzled. "But, I really remember watching you kiss Chad when you two were on your little 'fake' date." Tawni used air quotes to emphasize a word that she clearly doubted was accurate.
Just the mention of her date with Chad caused Sonny's voice to jump about two octaves. "No – no that wasn't real!" she exclaimed, swatting the air around her wildly. Tawni's eyebrows arched and she smirked, but allowed Sonny to continue. "Look, that was a fake kiss too. And not the kind of 'fake' that needs air quotes. I put my hand over Chad's mouth. We never actually kissed."
Technically, Sonny thought. In her mind, the scenario might have played out a bit differently, had it been a real date, rather than a fake one. Of course, in that case, she would not have kissed Chad. Not because she didn't want to, per se, but because she believed it was the guy's job to make the first move.
Tawni looked at her newly manicured nails with interest. Without looking up, she responded. "But you do want to kiss him, right?"
Sonny groaned in disgust. Yes. "No," she emphasized poignantly. "No, no, no, I do not want to kiss Chad Dylan Cooper!"
The blonde merely lifted her shoulder in a half shrug. "Whatever." The pair sat in silence for a few moments while Sonny extinguished the fervent battle waging in her mind, and Tawni examined her nails from all angles. Suddenly, the blonde's head snapped up.
"I have a sketch idea!"
Sonny's eyebrows rose. "Really? And what idea is that?"
Tawni's perfect smile grew larger. "What if we did a 'First Kiss' skit? We could have a guy and a girl go on a date and we could have this entire series of things that go wrong during a first kiss attempt." The blonde clapped her hands together excitedly.
"You know what, Tawni, that's actually not a half-bad idea," Sonny remarked with a small smiled. "Yeah, I can see that. We could have them in like, a movie theater, and maybe have the guy spill popcorn on the girl when he leans over or something…"
"…and we could have some old woman try to get across the aisle and be all old lady-like and loudly ask if he was trying to get all 'hanky-panky' with the girl," Tawni added.
Sonny was nodding thoughtfully along, growing more interested by the minute. "Tawni, this may actually be a really funny sketch. Good job!"
Tawni applauded. "Yay for Tawni! I'm going to go tell Marshall about the idea," she replied, skipping from the couch to the door. Once she was standing on the threshold, she directed her attention at Sonny for one last statement. "Oh, and Sonny, I want you to play the girl on the date. You're going to get your first kiss. Hooray for Tawni's brilliant idea!"
Sonny's chocolate eyes grew wide as she hastily stood up from her chair. "What? Tawni, get back here!" Too late. She's already gone to find Marshall. And with my luck, Sonny thought, sinking back into her chair, he'll love the sketch. Great. While Nico and Grady are my friends and genuinely nice guys, a kiss with either of them is not exactly what I had in mind.
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Nearly a half an hour later, Marshall agreed to the sketch idea, on Tawni's conditions. That was why Chad Dylan Cooper was currently sitting across from him at his desk, staring at his reflection happily in Marshall's framed photograph of him and his mother.
"Now, Chad, you're probably wondering why I called you in here."
Chad shrugged, his Mackenzie Falls suit stiffly rising and falling. "I assume it has something to do with how wildly popular I am?"
Marshall rolled his eyes and continued. "Actually, Tawni had a sketch idea called 'First Kiss' and she thought that perhaps you would like to guest star in it. You'd get to play a guy who is trying to have his first kiss with this girl but everything goes wrong. It's actually a pretty funny sketch."
"Me? Guest star on…on…Chuckle City?" Chad asked, clearly flabbergasted. Actually… "Wait, what's in it for me?" he added as an afterthought.
"I'm sure your ratings can only improve, and it would look good on a resume…I suppose," Marshall dryly replied.
Chad Dylan Cooper was contemplating. On the one hand, he detested the idea of lowering his standards as an actor in order to participate in a comedy show. Of course, the idea had potential, if…
"Okay Marshall, let's hypothetically assume that I agree to guest star for the sketch. Who would I have to kiss?" Chad knew that there were few possibilities for his lip-lock, being that there were only three girls in the So Random! cast. Tawni was an option, of course. And while Chad had to admit that she was pretty, the thought of kissing her, even for a sketch, wasn't necessarily a motivating factor for him to agree. His second option was Zora, which made him shudder. She was, after all, only eleven years old. And then there was Sonny. While logically, Chad should not have even associated with sketch show "actresses" like Sonny Monroe, he couldn't help himself. Despite Sonny's occasionally aggravating bubbly personality, it always made him smile to look at his cell phone and see her name or watch her pass by from across the parking lot.
But Chad Dylan Cooper was no romantic. He couldn't be.
Chad was known for his stunning good looks, his suave charm, and his irresistible personality. He was the teen Hollywood sensation known for breaking hearts, but only from a distance. That was exactly how Chad liked to keep the women in his life. That way, Chad Dylan Cooper could never be hurt by anyone, especially a girl. And he had managed, quite successfully, to avoid becoming too close to any one girl for too long. That is, until Sonny Monroe arrived from Wisconsin with her adorable smile, pretty hair, and captivating personality. Darn that Sonny Monroe.
It was impossible though for him to stay mad at her, or even be completely jerk-like when in her presence. He had his moments, like any young star does, occasionally wanting to hog the spotlight or tease her endlessly. But when he saw her face after the hard work that she had put into creating her own prom for the studio dissolved, he couldn't help but want to end her night with a smile. And he didn't know why, but being near her made him feel all cliché and mushy.
Darn that Sonny Monroe.
Marshall interrupted Chad's inner monologue. "Tawni never said who was going to be your co-star for the sketch. She might even have another guest star planned. With Tawni, I really never know," he added, scratching his bald patch thoughtfully.
Attempting to not be too grossed out by Marshall's hygiene, Chad wrinkled his nose. So there was a chance that he could be kissing Sonny in the sketch. A genuine smile stretched across his face. Chad Dylan Cooper never missed out on a chance at something he truly wanted. "Sure, Marshall. Tell Tawni I agree to do the sketch."
Marshall nodded. "Good. Tawni left to go write up the lines and she'll run them by me before we do any rehearsals. There's one minor detail I have to mention though."
Chad's eyebrows knit in confusion. "What's that?"
Marshall himself appeared confused upon delivering Tawni's final requests for the sketch. "Tawni said that you're not allowed to know who you are going to actually be doing the sketch with until the night of. She's surprising you with a special co-star. You'll be able to run lines with whoever you choose, and the day of the show, you can bring them to set and rehearse with them as well. But for some reason, that's her idea. She said it'll make the whole sketch even funnier."
The blonde teenager just shrugged and waved his hand dismissively. "Yeah, sure, whatever. Now, can we talk about how much I'll be getting paid?"
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Sonny fidgeted with her script. She couldn't believe that Tawni was actually making good on her promise to get Sonny her first kiss. On-screen. In front of a studio audience. And hundreds or thousands of viewers. Suddenly, Sonny's stomach turned into a river dance.
"Ugh, will you stop making noise?" Tawni asked, shifting her position on the floor. "I'm trying to do my yoga before we run lines. That means Tawni needs some silent time." The blonde shot an accusatory glare at the brunette.
Sonny began to whine. "But how can you expect me to be calm when I have no idea who I'm going to be kissing out there tomorrow night? It could be Nico or Grady…"
"…or someone else altogether!" Tawni said with a giggle.
Sonny's head shot up. "Wait, what?"
Relaxing from the yoga position she had just been in, Tawni reclined against the couch and stretched her arms above her head. "I'm just saying, I never told you it was Nico or Grady. It could be someone else."
Nervous anticipation eased its way back into Sonny's stomach. "Someone else? Who is it Tawni?"
The blonde shrugged, bored. "I don't see why it matters."
"It does matter!" her co-star exclaimed. "It matters a lot to me. I want to know who my first kiss is going to be, thank you very much."
The perky blonde rose from her position on the floor and faced her flustered friend. "You're going to have to wait until tomorrow night to find out. For today's rehearsal, you'll be running lines with Nico and Grady. Don't worry though, we'll leave off the end of the script where you actually get your kiss. I want to save that for tomorrow night." Tawni sighed in admiration. "I just love being me."
"Well, I'd love it if you would tell me who my co-star is," Sonny returned through gritted teeth. Tawni was really starting to get under her skin.
"Sonny, Sonny, Sonny," Tawni sighed, placing a delicate hand on the brunette's shoulder, "it could be anyone. I could have flown Chace Crawford in for tomorrow night's show. But you're not going to know who you'll be kissin' until tomorrow night." With a smile and a shake of her highlighted hair, the girl bounced her way out of the dressing room, leaving Sonny shaking with frustration.
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Chad chose Portlyn to run lines with, mainly because she was the only one he knew was available. As the girl made her way across the So Random! set, she wrinkled her nose in disdain.
"Ew, Chad, I can't believe you're actually going through with this. We all thought it was a joke or something."
Chad's eyes scanned the set. "Hey, it's not that bad," he remarked, blue eyes trailing over the fake movie theater. "It'll look good on my resume, you know. I'm broadening my horizons as an actor."
Portlyn's rolled her eyes. "Whatever. I can't believe you don't even know who you're going to have to kiss until the live show tomorrow night. Ugh, what if you end up with that strange little girl who always looks like she's up to something? Or worse, what if you have to kiss the annoyingly peppy one?"
"Sonny's an awesome girl," Chad responded, fingers clenching around his script defensively. "And she's smart, and talented, and she may be annoying sometimes, but at least she makes a room feel brighter just by being in it."
Portlyn's perfect eyebrows arched in surprise. "I meant the blonde one."
"Oh" was the only response that Chad managed to formulate. Thankfully at that moment, Marshall instructed Chad and Portlyn to take their places on set and begin rehearsing the scene.
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Nico and Grady looked from Tawni, who merely shrugged and returned to admiring herself in a compact to Sonny, who was pacing the room. And with every clicking step of her high-heeled shoes, she was growing more restless. Who would she have to face on set? Who would she have her first kiss with? Why wouldn't her stomach settle? And why was her throat suddenly dry?
"Guys, I can't go through with this," Sonny burst out. Her three companions stared her down.
"You'll do fine, Sonny," Nico assured.
"You always rock your sketches," Grady added.
"Oh, just stop whining and get out there on set already!" Tawni declared, pushing the girl toward the door. "We'll all be in the sketch, lovingly supporting you and cheering you on."
Sonny paused beside the doorframe, her lips turned into a smile. "Aw, Tawni that's so sweet of you to say. You know, I always –"
"Uh-huh, bye-bye now!"
With a final push, Sonny was left standing in the hallway while her cast members scampered away to their quick changes for the sketch. Sonny approached the set, heart pounding inside of her chest and stomach doing somersaults, to find a smiling Marshall awaiting her arrival.
"You ready for your big sketch, Sonny?" he asked.
Attempting a nervous smile that resembled more of a grimace, Sonny nodded her head and swallowed. Her co-star was awaiting her arrival on the movie theater set. She was supposed to scan the crowd of moviegoers for him, and he would be sitting in the third row. Taking a deep breath, Sonny listened for her intro.
"And now, please welcome back the cast of So Random!" the announcer enthusiastically cried. A thunderous applause broke from the audience, louder than usual, complete with cheers and whistles.
Sonny fixed her outfit and walked into the theater set in character, eyes scanning for her date. When she saw the back of his head, she immediately knew. Chad. As the script dictated, Chad turned around in order to determine the location of his date. When he locked eyes with a stunned Sonny, he nearly choked. Sonny? Remembering that she was in the middle of a sketch, Sonny waved at Chad and smiled, descending the theater steps.
"Hey there!" Sonny called eagerly to her date.
Chad's nervous energy quickly shifted as he slid into character. "I was beginning to think that maybe I got stood up," he replied with a chuckle. Sonny smiled in return, and Chad felt his heartbeats clearer than he had ever before as she sat down beside him. Relax, Chad, it's just a sketch.
"So, can I have some of your popcorn?" Sonny asked, still smiling over at Chad. The blonde nodded. He was supposed to reach into the popcorn bag at the same time as Sonny. Their hands would touch and they would look at each other and share an awkward smile. Sonny's hand brushed over his momentarily and her heart fluttered wildly. It's just a sketch, the actress repeated to herself. So why couldn't she control the butterflies in her stomach? Chad smiled at her and she was taken aback. It was a genuine smile, the same one he had used when they had been at Lookout Mountain and she had snorted. It was the smile that meant Chad Dylan Cooper cared about someone other than himself.
"Oh, hey, the movie's starting," Chad said, pointing to the imaginary screen in front of them. More actors, including Sonny's cast settled into seats behind and in front of them in the theater set. As written in the script, Chad was supposed to fake yawn and slide his arm around Sonny's shoulder.
Sonny felt Chad's fingers on her shoulder and, according to the script, she was supposed to act giddy. She didn't have to act. Chad glanced at her with his sparkling eyes and perfect smile. The script called for Chad to, at the moment their eyes connected, lean in and try to kiss her. Both leaned in and began to close the gap between them as the studio audience whispered excitedly to themselves and let loose a chorus of "ooh's." Sonny and Chad knew better though, for at that moment, Tawni, dressed as an old woman, was about to interrupt them.
The usually blonde young woman who was currently dressed in a long frock and gray wig forcefully pushed Sonny and Chad's heads apart, and the two winced, feeling their foreheads. "I don't wanna see no hanky-panky goin' on between you youngsters!" she cried. Every actor on set turned to face the couple and they looked around, embarrassed. The studio audience laughed in response.
"Uh, okay," Chad responded, slowly returning to his original position, arm draped around Sonny's shoulders. Tawni slapped his hand and Chad jumped and retracted his arm, much to the amusement of the audience. "Ow!" he cried, turning to face Tawni. "Are you crazy?"
Sonny placed her hand on Chad's shoulder. "It's okay, let's just enjoy the movie," she suggested. Chad nodded reluctantly, but not before shooting a glare at Tawni's grandmother character. The latter pointed her cane threateningly at the actor, but settled into her seat behind them.
A few moments passed by and Sonny looked over at Chad. He met her gaze and a smile spread on his face as he noticed how beautiful Sonny's eyes were. Her smile captivated him. Even her laugh was adorable. And when she laughed too hard, she snorted sometimes. And even that, Chad thought, was adorable. He leaned in, but knew that once again he would be interrupted, this time by Nico and Grady.
The two guys screamed and squealed from in front of Sonny and Chad and, as written in the script, two bags of popcorn flew right into the couple's faces. The audience cracked up as Sonny and Chad flicked popcorn off of their clothing. Tapping Nico's shoulder, the brunette actress assumed her irritated character. "Excuse me, but you just got popcorn all over me and my date."
Nico turned around to face his co-star and did a double-take. "Well, hello there pretty lady."
Chad had no need to act like he was protective of Sonny. "Dude, that's my date you're talking about."
The character that Nico was playing apparently didn't care, but turned around in his seat without so much as an apology. Sonny huffed and settled back into her seat, brushing away popcorn kernels. A few had gotten stuck in Chad's hair, so she reached over to flick them away and met his eyes, which she realized was a mistake. Every time she made eye contact with Chad Dylan Cooper, strange things happened. The day she confronted him on set about destroying her cast's peace picnic, he managed to turn her into a puddle of goo, and she was convinced that his eyes were the culprits. And that was only a minor example of what Chad's eyes were capable of.
Chad knew that the script called for him to lean in, once again, and attempt to kiss Sonny, but the truth was that he would have leaned in anyway. Sonny's nose was nearly touching his when Grady and Nico's cups of soda flew into the air and landed in their faces.
The audience burst out in laughter as the pair turned angry eyes and soda-soaked faces toward the actors in front of them. Grady turned around. "Dude, you've got something on your face right there…" he said, reaching a hand toward Chad's sticky face.
"I know!" Chad burst out, voice jumping an octave. "Stop touching me!" Zora's character tapped Chad on the shoulder and he let out an indignant "What?" before she delivered her line.
"Shh," she scolded with her finger over her mouth. "The time for talking is over!"
The audience, catching the Mackenzie Falls reference, chuckled. Sonny's stomach flipped over inside of her because she knew exactly what was going to happen. In the very next moment, Chad would respond with "I know!" and then grab her and give her a kiss. The thought of kissing Chad Dylan Cooper gave her so many butterflies that it made her nauseous. And then, quite suddenly, her butterflies began to scurry away. The thought of kissing Chad, just Chad, calmed her. It was Chad who had been a good friend to her, despite the ups and downs in their relationship. He was the one to spontaneously do nice things for her. He was the one who got odd around James Conroy once he found out she was dating him. And though Sonny had never admitted it aloud, she had feelings for Chad.
As Chad brushed the remaining popcorn from his shirt, he knew exactly what he had to do. Licking his lips, he prepared to deliver his line, the line that would lead to kissing Sonny. Even though Chad Dylan Cooper had kissed a few young women in his lifetime and career as an actor, he had never been nervous about a kiss. Until now. The split second before he opened his mouth to deliver the line, Chad nearly backed out. The knots wrenching his stomach were unbearable. But then he remembered exactly who it was that he would be kissing – Sonny. And he smiled inwardly.
"I know!" Chad responded, and he delicately placed a hand on the back of Sonny's head before closing the gap between them with a kiss. Both Chad and Sonny's hearts danced rapidly. She had always wondered what it would be like to kiss Chad, and now she knew – perfect. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she barely noticed the cheering and thunderous applause from the audience. Chad kept kissing Sonny, amused that her lips tasted like a mixture of cola and cherry lip gloss, rather than skee ball and air hockey. Her hair was perfect, and he enjoyed twirling his fingers in her brunette locks as her lips invaded his. Eventually, the pair had to surface for air. And with one glance at each other, they both knew that this may have been their first kiss together, but it certainly wouldn't be their last.